Observations
by Neopuff
Summary: Being around the same people for so long - you start to notice things. The Joes gradually becoming aware of Snake Eyes' feelings for Scarlett. Renegades-verse. SnakeScar.
1. Tunnel Rat

**Observations**

_Chapter 1…Private Nicky Lee_

* * *

Being Nicky Lee had its ups and downs. Being _Tunnel Rat_ had mostly downs – but every once in a while there was an up, too. He didn't get to hang around the dirt or sewers as much, what with being in a truck most of the time, and he was stuck hanging out with a group of soldiers he never would've associated with otherwise – but at least being on the run had made him more and more…observant. Of course, he'd always been observant of plants or things found underground, but now he was seeing more of _people_ and _ideas. _He found that conspiracies he used to call "crazy" or "paranoid" were now totally obvious. He was able to understand people a little bit better – including his discovery that Scarlett's abrasive personality was really just a façade – for what, he didn't know, but forty bucks said it had something to do with an ex-boyfriend or her dad. Chicks almost always seemed to have daddy issues (in his small amount of experience with women, anyways).

But still, even with all these newfound observational skills, he could _not,_ for the life of him, understand anything about Snake Eyes. Obviously that was the intention – what with the mask and the barely any form of communication without Scarlett around to translate – but it still frustrated Nicky to no end. It was hard to work with a guy that he didn't know anything about. Except that he's an _assassin._ Which wasn't much of a confidence booster, honestly.

So anytime Nicky _did_ discover something new about their little team's resident ninja – he was very proud of himself. It wasn't often, but it happened. He noticed that Snake Eyes _really_ loves that motorcycle he stole – need for speed, maybe? He noticed that Snake Eyes was sometimes sleeping when he's in a meditation pose (though usually he's actually meditating, which meant that sticking your hand in front of his face would lead to an unwelcome bruise on your wrist). He noticed that when they offered Snake Eyes food, he would grab it, nod, and head somewhere else to eat - must've really not wanted to show his face to anyone.

But specifically, and most recently, he'd been noticing Snake Eyes'…_attachment_ to Scarlett.

Now, he'd made jokes about them from day one. That's what you do when two people are as ridiculously close as they are, you make boyfriend/girlfriend jokes. But after utilizing his crazy new observational skills, Nicky noticed that…his jokes might not be as funny as he thought.

Whenever Duke and Scarlett spent an excessive amount of time together, especially if they laughed about something, Snake Eyes would walk off or and avoid the gang for a little while. Whenever the group was in immediate danger, whose arm would get grabbed by the resident ninja to pull her to safety? Scarlett's. Who was the _entire reason they had the ninja on their team?_ Scarlett. Scarlett Scarlett Scarlett. What did Snakes do for this team that didn't have to do with Scarlett?

* * *

Nicky opened his eyes and glanced out the window of the Coyote. Trees everywhere – looks like they'd stopped for a quick break. He turned his head to see Roadblock sleeping in the seat next to him and Duke trying his best not to fall asleep in the driver's seat. Good thing they'd stopped.

Curious to where the other two had gone, Nicky looked out the window again and noticed a familiar redhead sitting against the bottom of a large oak tree. Must've needed some fresh air – he could understand that. He started to wonder where Snake Eyes was, but remembered that if the ninja didn't want to be seen, he wouldn't be. No point in trying to look around for him.

Deciding that he needed some fresh air himself, Tunnel Rat stretched and headed out the door next to him, closing it slowly in an effort to not wake up Roadblock or Duke. Those two were _cranky_ if they didn't get their beauty sleep. Once outside, he took a big whiff of the air and smiled – nature was something he had understood his whole life. Didn't need to be on the run from Cobra to understand the great outdoors.

Scarlett either didn't notice him get up or didn't care – she continued staring off into the distance and playing with that necklace of hers. Nicky shrugged it off and decided to take a quick walk – maybe he'd be lucky and find some food while he was wandering.

After about ten minutes of wandering around, Nicky came to the conclusion that this walk was a total waste of his time and he might as well get some more sleep if they were gonna park here for the afternoon. Once he was almost back to the clearing, he noticed a figure in a large tree a few dozen feet away. Well, now he knew where the ninja was. But what was he doing?

Snake Eyes was sitting in a high branch, leaning against the trunk of the tree – probably on watch for the group while everyone else relaxed. But, Nicky noticed, Snakes was definitely looking down at something in particular. Following the man's (potential) line of sight, Nicky noticed he was looking _right_ at Scarlett. Just…_watching _her.

He raised an eyebrow. Did Snake Eyes usually watch Scarlett from a distance? Maybe things weren't as…_mutual _as he'd thought. Curiosity getting the better of his judgment, Nicky cupped his hands around his mouth and whispered up towards the ninja, "_Hey, Snake Eyes!_"

Snake Eyes glanced down at Nicky and quickly hopped down from the branch, nodding as if to tell the other man to keep talking. Tunnel Rat pointed a thumb in Scarlett's direction. "Not that it's any of my business or nothin', but what's goin' on with you 'n Scarlett?"

Nicky had never seen someone look flustered without…actually being able to see their face. But somehow, Snake Eyes _definitely_ had that expression going on for a brief second before he composed himself. In response, he pointed back and forth between himself and Scarlett while shaking his head _no._

Tunnel Rat raised another eyebrow at that. He didn't expect Snake Eyes to talk about how great the sex was, but he didn't expect the man to _deny_ it, either. "You kiddin' me right now?"

Snake Eyes crossed his arms over his chest, in an obvious _do I look like I'm kidding_ kind of way. Normally Nicky tried to back off when Snakes got like that, but he needed some entertainment at that moment.

"Huh. Maybe I'll ask Scarlett about it then," he commented, quickly turning around and starting to walk in her direction. A large hand grabbed him by the shoulder and forced Nicky to turn back around. He was met with Snake Eyes shaking his head _no_ again.

"What? What's the issue?"

The ninja brought a hand to the back of his neck and rubbed it awkwardly. It was kind of weird for Nicky to see Snake Eyes act so…_human._ He was usually more of a crazy, super-powered, ninja hero. Or something.

Interested in seeing this strange human side of Snake Eyes, Tunnel Rat partly crossed his arms and pointed behind him again. "You tryin' to tell me she doesn't _know_?" The thought of Snake Eyes having a big ol' middle school crush on Scarlett was…well, honestly, it was pretty damn funny.

Snake Eyes shrugged his shoulders, clearly uncomfortable with this whole conversation. He made a couple of motions with his hands – too quick for Tunnel Rat to catch and clearly in sign language, which he didn't know - so Nicky just made a face at the ninja when he was done.

Putting his hand on the side of his head, Snake Eyes pointed over to Scarlett, then to Tunnel Rat, then back at himself. Then he shook his head _no_ for the thousandth time and pointed to Tunnel Rat again, followed by an obvious zipper motion on the spot where his mouth should be.

Nicky got the message – _don't talk about Snake Eyes and Scarlett's relationship…or lack there of._ Apparently it was a sensitive subject. Which seemed kinda sad to TRat, but hey – he hadn't had a girlfriend in _years._ What did he know?

Shrugging, Tunnel Rat made his way back to the Coyote, very tempted to ask Roadblock or Duke what they thought of all this (if they were awake, that is). Not that Nicky was a gossip or anything, but if Snake Eyes and Scarlett were doing anything on the Coyote with everyone else around, he figured everyone should be perfectly aware of what was going on. It only seemed fair.

He stepped back inside and immediately noticed that Duke was now _totally_ and _completely_ out of it, whereas Roadblock had rolled over at _least_ once, leaving a gigantic foot on Tunnel Rat's seat. Fantastic. Like he needed a giant foot up his ass when he wanted to sleep. Whatever, he'd just move to the front seat. Scarlett wouldn't mind – she was still hanging outside.

Speaking of, before he drifted off again, Nicky glanced out the front seat window. Scarlett seemed to have fallen asleep or something – considering how her head was resting against her knees, that's what it looked like – and when he glanced up to where Snake Eyes was before, he saw the ninja was still staring down at their resident ginger.

Whatever was going on, he hoped that he wasn't around when it was dealt with. With Scarlett being involved, it was _bound_ to be messy.


	2. Roadblock

**Observations**

_Chapter 2…Corporal Marvin Hinton  
_

* * *

Unlike his teammate Tunnel Rat, Roadblock had _always_ been good at reading people. That was one of his gifts, he supposed – along with cooking and cars. It probably came from all the time he spent around family; trying to keep them happy and together so that no one else would follow in Hershel's footsteps.

So he'd always found it easy to tell when two people weren't getting along, or when they were getting along _too_ well, or when there was something between them that even _they_ couldn't really identify. He'd done plenty of matchmaking in High School – two or three of them eventually leading to marriage – so Marvin would have to say that he knew what he was doing.

But setting people up in High School was very different from setting people up as adults. Not to mention living-together-in-a-van-and-on-the-run-type adults. Apparently that fact didn't stop _Tunnel Rat_ from saying something, but Marvin knew better. He wasn't gonna just walk up to Snake Eyes and ask him how he felt about Scarlett! For one, it was…pretty obvious, all things considered. And for two, he could never understand the guy, anyways. Felt bad about it, but that didn't change how it was.

So when Duke and Scarlett were searching for food and Snake Eyes was nowhere to be found, Roadblock was practically ambushed by their team's medic with the story of his "awkward conversation with the ninja".

"Why would you go and ask him 'bout something like that?" Roadblock asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Anything between Snake Eyes and Scarlett was between the two of them – TRat _not_ included.

Nicky rolled his eyes. "Look, Big Guy – when you _live_ with two people who act like _they_ do, you wanna know what's going on."

Marvin raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh. You sure you're not just…jealous or somethin'?"

"_Oy vey,"_ Nicky started, rubbing his temple. "I can only _hope_ you're kidding."

"I'm not," Marvin responded, pointing a large finger down at his teammate. "Cause otherwise, I don't really see why you would care."

"Really? You can't think of a _single reason_ why I'd care that two of the people we share a tiny, cramped living space with – one of them being a professional murderer – could be doing _who-knows-what_ all over where we sleep?!"

Marvin stared at Tunnel Rat with an open mouth. "Y-you're serious? You don't _really_ think they'd-?!"

Crossing his arms over his chest to mimic the confused man in front of him, Tunnel Rat raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Man, they aren't even _together. _They're not gettin' busy in the backseat! Get your mind outta the gutter," Roadblock pouted at his teammate. "Besides, it's none of our business," he finished, grabbing his earbuds to block Tunnel Rat out.

Nicky threw his hands up into the air. "Fine! You wanna walk in on 'em, be my guest! _I'm_ gonna stay paranoid!" He glared at the larger man in front of him for a few more seconds before skulking away.

As he hummed along to the music, Roadblock considered what Nicky had said. Not the sex part - that obviously wasn't true - but the idea that Snake Eyes would confess to his feelings so openly. And to _Tunnel Rat_ of all people. It was like a romcom movie! Marvin really had a thing for those.

Realistically, though, he guessed it wasn't _that_ weird. The ninja may be silent about everything, but...that was because he was _mute._ Didn't mean he didn't _want_ to say things. He probably had a whole lot he wanted to say when the team was arguing about something stupid. Or when Duke and Scarlett went off on their own.

Roadblock peered an eye open when he thought he heard something outside the Coyote. Seeing nothing, he closed his eyes again - but a second later he _definitely_ felt a presence near him, so he peered his eyes open again.

Snake Eyes was suddenly standing right next to him.

Marvin almost screamed - _almost_; he'd been getting used to Snake Eyes' stealthiness, but every once in a while the guy still managed to scare him half to death.

"Hey, Snakes. How long you been standin' there?" he asked with as friendly a tone as possible. It'd be kind of awkward if Snake Eyes had overheard his conversation with Tunnel Rat.

But, of course, he was a ninja, so that's probably what happened. And when Snake Eyes paused before pointing to his ear, and then to the seat Tunnel Rat had been sitting in, Marvin got the picture.

"So you heard that, huh?" He shrugged. "Yeah, you know T-Rat. He's just paranoid about everything."

The ninja nodded and paused again, looking strangely hesitant. Roadblock was scared the guy was gonna admit that he and Scarlett _had_ done something in the Coyote.

But instead, Snake Eyes pointed to the front seat - where Scarlett had been sitting earlier - then back to himself and shook his head _no._ Nicky had mentioned him doing this before. Apparently it was his way of saying there wasn't anything happening.

Marvin chuckled. "Yo, man, that's all _your_ business. You don't have to tell me twice." He could practically feel Snake Eyes smiling behind the mask, and clapped the ninja on his back. "But honestly - she's not a patient woman, you know that! Ya can't wait forever, you know what I mean?"

Alright, so the matchmaking habit hadn't worn off entirely. That wasn't _his_ fault! It was...genetics! Or something.

Snake Eyes nodded at Roadblock's word and immediately turned his head towards the woods, where Scarlett and Duke were returning with a whole ton of different kinds of berries. And they were laughing about something.

Before Marvin could even comment, the ninja made his way to the back of the truck, and the bigger guy just shrugged. He liked Snake Eyes and he liked Scarlett, so he felt bad about what seemed to be unnecessary jealousy. But he wasn't going to force them into anything - they were adults! Had to do it themselves.

Tunnel Rat suddenly appeared next to Duke and Scarlett and immediately started yelling about one of the groups of berries in Duke's hands. Scarlett pointed at the Sergeant and laughed - she probably thought they were poisonous, but he didn't listen 'til their expert came around.

Marvin smiled and shrugged. "I hope the rest of 'em are actually edible this time."


	3. Ripcord

**Observations**

_Chapter Three...Private Wallace Weems_

* * *

Wallace always paid close attention to things he found interesting. _Very_ close attention. He'd always found planes and piloting interesting, which is why he went into that field. As a kid, he found the military fascinating, so he mixed his two interests together and found a place he felt comfortable in.

Sure, he knew it was dangerous. Pretty risky, too. But he loved risks and danger! He always waited an extra second or two before releasing his parachute. And taking risks to save innocent people's lives? That made it even better. Dying for the sake of others was the best way to go in his book.

But back to paying attention - that was his _thing._ He was great at remembering small details, too. One of the reasons girls always loved him in High School: he could remember the time and place and song and clothes from their first date, every single time! And those were things he was definitely interested in hoarding to the back of his mind.

So when Weems woke up in a hospital bed, not knowing where he was or _who_ he was, the first people that stood out to him were this hot, bossy babe, and a _super ninja man._ Nothing else to say but "Me likey."

Spending time with all of his new 'friends' - Wallace was mostly focused on himself. He was now partly a bioviper, both the military and COBRA wanted their hands on him, _and_ his new nickname was apparently 'Ripcord'. Which was a pretty sweet nickname, plus _Scarlett's_ the one that gave it to him. Bonus points!

While he was still getting used to his powers - mostly focusing on the issue of COBRA's freaky mad scientist kid trying to control him - Ripcord _was_ aware that Snake Eyes and Scarlett had separated from the rest of the team to do their own thing. According to the other guys, this wasn't the first time they'd gone off on their own without saying anything.

And _that_, Ripcord decided, was suspicious. He thought Scarlett was hot and cool all wrapped into one. And Snake Eyes was just fun to watch while he did his cool ninja fighting moves. So them, _together_, as a _couple?_ That was something he wanted to see. They'd probably turn into a badass fighting duo. Maybe Scarlett would start wearing all black to match Snake Eyes' look.

Ripcord spent a minute imagining what that'd look like until realizing they were starting to sound like a comic book couple. Maybe he needed some sleep.

* * *

Wallace didn't find out for _sure_ about Snake Eyes' feelings until the time they were in Biloxi. Scarlett was miffed that Roadblock didn't tell anyone where they were going, Tunnel Rat kept complaining about being hungry, Duke just seemed concerned about Roadblock's "family thing", and Snake Eyes just hung out in the back without a care.

After less than a half hour of just sitting around wondering what Roadblock was up to, Scarlett made her way into the back of The Coyote where Snake Eyes was, and Duke fell asleep in his seat.

Tunnel Rat, on the other hand, eyeballed Scarlett on her way to the back, mumbling angrily when he heard the sound of the back door being opened and closed. Apparently Scarlett and Snake Eyes were going off for a bit to do their own thing. Whatever _their own thing_ meant, anyways.

Ripcord glanced over at Nicky - who wasn't his biggest fan, he was completely aware of that, but he also didn't really care - and considered asking him about the only two people in their crew with ninja skills. He seemed to have something to say, anyways.

"Yo, T-Rat," he started, leaning closer so he wouldn't wake up Duke. "Where d'ya think Snakes and Scarlett went off to?"

Tunnel Rat glared sideways at Ripcord before turning to face him. "I'm gonna be honest with you here, I don't _want_ to know," he said decisively, crossing his arms over his chest. "Those two go off on their own too often for my taste."

Ripcord tilted his head. "What? You think they're off gettin' busy?"

The man's ears turned a bit pink as he covered his eyes with his hands. "I'm trying to _not_ think about it! Where's that mute button I was talkin' about?"

Ignoring his last comment, Wallace smirked. "So that's a yes, then. How long's _that_ been goin' on?"

Nicky rolled his eyes and pointed a finger towards his annoying companion. "It's _not_! The ninja told me himself that it's not! And I haven't walked in on anything yet, so I'm inclined to believe 'im! Now stop talkin' about it!"

With that, Tunnel Rat rolled around and shoved himself into the corner of his seat. Probably trying to sleep. Wallace just shrugged and started moving towards the back of the truck so he could leave and get some fresh air without waking anybody up.

Immediately after he raised the curtain to the back, Ripcord's eyes widened. Snake Eyes was right there, seemingly meditating. Ripcord leaned down in front of the ninja in an attempt to see if he was asleep or not - and continued to stare for about ten seconds before Snake Eyes' hand was suddenly in front of his face.

Wallace let out a girlish squeak as he jumped back, completely shocked by the ninja's sudden movements. After a second, he composed himself and stood up straight.

Noticing Snake Eyes staring at him, Wallace cleared his throat awkwardly. "So...you, uh, didn't go with Scarlett?"

He shook his head no.

"Oh. You know where she went?"

Snake Eyes nodded and proceeded to make some motions with his hands that Ripcord didn't understand. He got the gist of it though - Scarlett needed to take a walk to blow off steam. Apparently this unscheduled detour really frustrated her. For a chick that usually expressed her annoyances, Ripcord couldn't tell she was so pissed.

After a few moments of silence, Ripcord thought back to what Tunnel Rat had said earlier. That Snake Eyes _told Tunnel Rat_ that he 'n Scarlett weren't doing anything? Why would he go and tell their most paranoid resident something like that?

And so, as Ripcord was known to do, he opened his big mouth.

"So did you actually tell _Tunnel Rat_ that you have a thing for Scarlett?"

Snake Eyes' posture immediately stiffened - apparently that question was unexpected. He stared at Ripcord for a few seconds before opting to shrug in response.

Ripcord was not satisfied.

"Come on...you'll tell whiny little T-Rat, but not loveable old me?"

Snake Eyes just stared.

"You can trust me to keep it a secret if that's what you want!"

In response to that obvious bull, Snake Eyes' brought a hand to his temple and starting to massage it. Almost as if he was suddenly getting a headache. It was weird how often that happened to people when they were talking to Weems.

Just as he was about to open his mouth again, the back door to the van suddenly opened and Scarlett stepped inside. She nodded at Weems and moved to walk past Snake Eyes, but the ninja grabbed her wrist before she got away.

She turned to him and sighed. "I'm fine. I'm sure he had his reasons. It's _fine._"

Letting go of her wrist, Snake Eyes said something to the redhead in sign language and she just smiled at him before motioning over to Weems. "I'm just gonna take a nap. Don't let me interrupt your...guy talk, or whatever you were doing," she said as she walked back to her seat.

Snake Eyes looked over at Ripcord, who had a big smirk on his face. The ninja just crossed his arms for a few seconds before reaching a hand up to make a zipper motion across his mouth.

Wallace got the idea. Don't talk about it. Technically, the ninja didn't even admit to anything. Apparently even _he_ knew it was obvious. Now Weems was just curious if _Scarlett_ thought it was obvious, too.


	4. Duke

**Observations**

_Chapter 4...Sergeant Conrad Houser_

Duke was...slow.

When it came to the people around him - gossip, or local events...anything that didn't involve him directly, he had always been slow at figuring out what was going on. And even sometimes when it _did_ involve him! Back in High School, apparently lots of girls were interested in him. Conrad was totally clueless about it.

According to his friends, the girls thought he was 'too hot to approach'. Well, how was he supposed to know they were interested if they didn't talk to him? So he'd only had one girlfriend in high school. And it didn't last very long. But he was just fine with that, since he had his family and his future to worry about instead.

But back to the point: Duke didn't notice personal things quickly. Especially not relationship-y things. If anyone had ever told him that, in less than five years, Flint and Lady Jaye would be married - he would've laughed. If anyone had ever told him that Baroness and Destro, the COBRA executives, were in some sort of relationship, he would've been _confused._ And if anyone had ever told him that there was something going on between Snake Eyes and Scarlett...he wouldn't have known what to say.

Duke was used to being good friends with ladies without anything romantic going on. So he never made boyfriend/girlfriend jokes like Tunnel Rat, or talk about how close they are like Roadblock did. After all, he and Lady Jaye had been close for years after he rescued her. And to be perfectly honest, Alison was one of Duke's best friends.

As of recent, Duke felt that Scarlett was suddenly becoming one of his best friends as well. He enjoyed her company, loved to make fun of her, respected her _much_ more than when they first met, and...in general, he was glad she was along for the ride. Not to mention that this was all entirely her fault to begin with, so she _had_ to stay with them.

So basically, Scarlett and Snake Eyes' closeless never meant much to Duke. To the point where he didn't really _notice_ any possibility of something more than a deep partnership. But even for someone whose slow on the update, there are small things that make a man wonder...

It really _was_ the little things that made Duke raise an eyebrow.

The whole "sensei" business, plus everything Jinx yelled at Scarlett about. Sure - it was just Jinx being angry and paranoid, but...you never know for sure.

The fact that, on occasion, they had their own secret side missions that Scarlett wouldn't tell anyone about 'til they'd already left. Nothing inherantly suspicious about that, just...it'd be nice if they'd tell everyone what they were up to. Duke was confident it was always COBRA-related though - what was Scarlett interested in that wasn't COBRA?

He still remembered how Snake Eyes grabbed her after they saved Elena's adoptive father. He'd noticed how torn Scarlett was earlier that day, and she seemed _so comforted_ by Snake Eyes_._ Duke's mind had wandered to the thought of how long these two had been friends. Was it years? Over a decade, even?

Most recently, Snake Eyes and Scarlett went on their own for more than just a _side mission_ while the rest of the guys headed to Brooklyn. Sure, they had a guys adventure of their own, but Duke hadn't heard even a single _peep_ from Scarlett or even a quiet radio signal from Snake Eyes since they'd left. He wasn't worried - Snake Eyes wouldn't let anything happen to Scarlett. Not that she needed help, either! She just...had a knack for getting into bad situations.

It was, not at a certain point necessarily, but with all these things combined together, that Duke was slowly starting to realize that Snake Eyes and Scarlett might not..._just_ be friends. It wasn't his business, so he wasn't going to ask, but he couldn't help a bit of curiosity.

Unfortunately, Duke's suspicions were confirmed in the worst way possible.

Saving Scarlett's life was not an effort to get a "thank you" out of her, or to be just nice, or to get her attention. Duke saved people. That's what he did all the time. It was his reason for staying in the military. Even one innocent life taken was a scratch on his heart he'd never forget. And her life had _really_ been in danger. Once she was out of harm's reach, they found out she _did_ have a minor concussion. Fortunately, Tunnel Rat had had multiple concussions as a teenager and he knew just what to do.

But the way Snake Eyes had rushed down to them and immediately shoved that rock off of her leg - then hesitantly picked her up to take her to the Coyote...Duke knew something was going on. The man may have been silent, but he couldn't hide everything. And his concern was sticking out like a neon sign. Not just concern for Scarlett's health, but...the way he was glaring at them. Well, it _seemed_ like he was glaring.

When they were underground Duke became suspicious. But it wasn't until Snake Eyes saw Scarlett hug him in the truck - that he just _left._ He stormed off in what was obviously a jealous huff. And Scarlett just stared and sighed. Did she know? She _had_ to know. He'd made it very clear that he was jealous. She couldn't be that blind.

But, well...Duke had just heard Scarlett admit that she'd never really had any friends. And she wasn't close to anyone in her family. So maybe it was possible that she _was_ that blind.

Sighing, Duke mumbled a hopefully reassuring "_He'll be back_," to Scarlett before walking around to sit in the driver's seat again. He and Snake Eyes had gotten along pretty well after the whole Jinx and Storm Shadow situation a few months earlier. This would hopefully not cause any rift between them, especially since Duke didn't have any romantic feelings for Scarlett. He liked her a lot, but not like that.

Duke bit the inside of his cheek as he considered their situation. Snake Eyes was mute. He never wrote anything down. He rarely spoke in sign language. Scarlett seemed to understand him most of the time anyways. They had to have some sort of long history. The Joes had been together for over a year at this point, so Snake Eyes and Scarlett must've known each other at _least_ that long.

He was very tempted to ask, even going so far as to look over at Scarlett, but she had fallen back asleep already. She looked very...uneasy; her hair was sticking to her skin like it was covered in sweat and she had an upset expression on her face. Duke stared at her and considered waking her up from an obvious nightmare, but turned around and left her alone instead. Maybe she wasn't as clueless as he thought.

((Sorry this chapter was so short! Next one will be extra long.))


End file.
